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My mind flashed back to a moment in the early 1990’s. I was sitting in a pew on a Sunday night with my parents in a church building singing along with a man and his guitar who was leading us in a praise song, “Create in me a clean heart, Oh God, and renew a right spirit within me…” My heart has always resonated with that song, and I have always heard the words of it through that man’s baritone voice. Rick Zehr was the man who led worship that night for a tiny group of believers who were ready to start a new church.

Fast forward to the end of 2016, over 25 years later. Pastor Rick (as we all call him), is now on staff at the church and school I lead. He has been a part of our church for many years now and he is one of those men I lean on for advice and support when faced with major decisions. On this uneventful day at the end of 2016, he stood at the door of my office and wanted to share something with me.

He shared with me that there was a church in the community which might be open to the idea of partnering with us. My ears perked up and he had my full attention because our leadership had been praying about going multisite for over a year now. The name of the church was Church of the Good Shepherd, which was located right across from Leo High School. In that moment, my mind flashed back to the night I sat in the pew as a junior higher trying to worship God. I did not know that I would someday be a pastor. I was in junior high. I loved sports and was starting the awkward stage of being interested in girls. Being a pastor wasn’t on my list of future career opportunities. But God, who knows the future, could see what was going to happen 25 years later.

What happened to me toward the end of 2016 would be called by many an epiphany. The past connection myself and many others at Central Ministries had with the Church of the Good Shepherd was uncanny. Our theology lined up well. Our philosophies were similar. We were both nondenominational churches. It all sounded too good to be true.

I thanked Rick for the information and told him that I would definitely pray about it and he walked away. Immediately, I felt a stir in my heart that this was from God. So, I got up from my desk and walked across the hallway into Pastor Don’s office (Don is still on staff at Central Ministries as our small groups pastor and was the former lead pastor for over 25 years; and he has been the overseer at Church of the Good Shepherd for years). I told Pastor Don about the possibility of our church partnering with their church and he also felt a stir in his heart that this was of God. We decided that he (Don) should contact Pastor Brad (lead pastor at Good Shepherd) and invite him out for coffee at the Perk (Central’s coffee shop). As Pastor Brad and Don met, they both sensed that God might be up to something.

Pastor Don called me (I was in my office studying) and asked if I was available to meet with the two of them. I walked into the Perk and the three of us continued the conversation. As the three of us met, we all sensed that God might be bringing us together, but we wanted to take this slow, as we knew that this type of move would require a great deal of humility on both sides. We parted ways that morning and decided that we would pray about it for several days and if we still felt like God was stirring our hearts, then we would present it to our elders.

Over the next several weeks, we met with elders, staff, financial teams and other key leaders to see what their response would be in regard to the idea of partnering together. The response was overwhelmingly positive filled with excitement.

In January, we asked both congregations to start praying. We didn’t tell them what the big announcement would be, but we simply asked them to pray for 30 days leading up to the announcement so that we could all feel the unity of the Spirit.

This last weekend (Feb 3-5), we both shared with our congregations the idea of partnering together and becoming ONE CHURCH at TWO LOCATIONS. The enthusiastic response from both congregations has been incredible.

Practically speaking, what does it mean that we will be partnering together? Here are a few of the details of how this will look if this is affirmed by both congregations in March:

Church of the Good Shepherd will become Central Ministries. Central Ministries would then have two campuses.

The vision and values of both campuses will be the same.

Pastor Jeremy will become the Lead Pastor of both campuses and would therefore preach at both campuses.

Pastor Brad will become the Campus Pastor of the “Leo Campus” and will focus on shepherding, administration and leader multiplication.

The “Leo Campus” will be resourced in many ways so that both campuses will exhibit the same style and passion in worship, youth and children’s ministries.

I believe this is the future of the Church. Not just for Central Ministries, but for the global church. Denominations will continue to crumble. Isolated churches will continue to be frustrated that their reach is never enough. But what if like-minded churches would decide to pull together in unity for the sake of the central message of the cross? I often sense in my heart that our city doesn’t necessarily need another church to be planted right next to an existing church. We are often referred to as the city of churches with over 300 local churches. What would happen if churches of all sizes decided to work together in unity? What would happen if churches would share their talents and their resources with each other? Then each of those churches within that network of campuses would become thriving places where people who are searching for answers will be presented with the good news of Jesus Christ. Just think about the power in those statements.

This last weekend, I presented this vision to our Friday night service. I stood up on stage at the 8:00 a.m. service on Sunday and presented the same vision. At 9:30 a.m. I spoke to a gym full of people while many watched in the chapel at our video venue service. And finally, at 11:00 a.m., I cast the vision for a 5th time in the same crowded gym. From a practical standpoint, we have to expand to another location. But that is not the thought I want to leave with you.

At the end of the 5th and final service, there was a line of people who wanted to talk with me. I enjoy talking with people and listening to them and trying to answer any questions they might have in regard to the sermon or to our church. At the end of the line, there was a young lady in her early twenties who wanted to share something that happened to her that morning. She was the final person I talked with at the church that day and looking back I know that this was God telling me that what He is doing is something bigger than any one of us.

She had not been to church for about 1.5 years. She dropped out of church for various reasons and in many ways had drifted away from God. Over the last few months, her friends had invited her to Central Ministries, but for whatever reason, she just wasn’t able to come. Until today. February 5. On the way to church that morning, she felt like God was whispering to her that He was going to blow her mind. She wasn’t sure what exactly that meant, but she was anticipating learning something inspiring. When I stood up on the stage and started talking about the possibility of Central Ministries partnering with Church of the Good Shepherd, she couldn’t believe it at first. She had been away from church for 1.5 years. That church she had left was Church of the Good Shepherd. She had not been to any other church during that time. And I was talking about the very same church on the very same day that she had decided to give church a try again. What are the odds!!! Was this a coincidence? I highly doubt it! She could feel in her heart that God was speaking directly to her. For her, God was confirming that He was looking after her and was keeping her safe no matter where she had gone. To me, this was an amazing story showing how God is divinely working in everyone’s life to fulfill His ultimate purpose in and through them.

Whether you are a junior higher sitting with your parents in a church on a Sunday night, or you are a twenty-something who has given up on church, never underestimate the supernatural power of the God who watches over you. You are never alone. You are never overlooked. You are specifically loved by the One who controls the Universe.

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Here we are again. One calendar year is closing while a new one is just beginning. Something seems to happen in many of us this time of year. We feel the urge to make new year’s resolutions. But if we are honest with ourselves, these resolutions just do not work. Research has calculated that 90% of resolutions started on January 1 have been broken by February 1. After just one month, 9 out of 10 people have quit their life changing commitments. And by spring time, most of the remaining 10% have also failed. Have you ever stopped to ask yourself why so many people try to make these resolutions if they fundamentally do not work?

New year’s resolutions do not work because they are starting at the wrong place. When people make resolutions, they start with making their SELF better. That sounds really good, and in some ways it is, but it just doesn’t work because our SELF gets in the way of making our SELF better. Just look at the top resolutions people make every year. Every. Single. Year. These resolutions are always at the top of the list. Notice the common theme: lose weight and get fit, quit smoking, learn something new, eat healthier, get out of debt and save money, travel to new places, be less stressed, drink less, enjoy life to the fullest, fall in love.

This time of year you are offered gym memberships at a discounted deal, you are told that there are magic drinks out there that will make you healthy, you see commercials about dating sites to find true love, and you watch advertisements about exotic vacations you cannot afford to pass up. Everything you see this time of year seems to focus on YOU being happy. But sadly, these things don’t seem to bring us lasting happiness.

These types of resolutions are all about SELF. This is why most people fail in fulfilling them. When we focus on our SELF, then we usually end up feeding what the SELF desires. And the SELF usually desires that which is not good for it. So, the reason most of us fail in keeping our resolutions is because we are starting with SELF. Where should we start, then?

Instead of making a short list of 2-4 resolutions you want to accomplish for this year to make yourself a better person, start with just one resolution. This resolution will force you to focus on something besides yourself. And that will ultimately be good for you. Are you ready for this resolution? Every morning, wake up with this goal in mind. This should be your mindset for the day. Here it goes: “Today, I will love God and because I love God I will show love to others.”

I have never heard this as a new year’s resolution. But this phrase is considered by Jesus as the greatest activity which you can be engaged in. This resolution is focused on God and others. Never underestimate the power of loving God and how that will change you from the inside out. When you love God with all your heart and you start to see people with God’s eyes, you become a better person. You will actually want to change in some areas for God, not just for you. You will want to change for the people you love, not just for you. When you love God and others, you will want to stop smoking. When you love God and others, you will want to become healthier. Do you see the difference?

I truly believe this is the only resolution which has supernatural power. Too many times, we try to find the courage deep inside of us to change, but after a month of trying on our own, we give up. For the next 365 days, start your day off with this phrase: “Today, I will love God and because I love God I will show love to others.” After just a few weeks of starting your day off with this focus, you will start to see God changing you in ways that you will appreciate. You will start to notice God at work in you during your day like never before. You will notice someone who needs your care and your heart will extend to them. And you might even notice an area God convicts you in which you need to change, and because you love Him, you will change.

Do you see the difference? When we change to please God, and it is genuine, we will be transformed. But when we change to please ourselves, we will usually fail. Commit to this phrase and make it your new year’s resolution: “Today, I will love God and because I love God I will show love to others.”

Hold off on that new diet, for now. Don’t sign up on that dating site just yet. Wait a little longer on joining a gym. Focus first on God this year, and these things will be added unto you. Will you commit with me this year to start off every day focusing on loving God? If you do, you will be fulfilled in ways you never thought were possible.

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Over the last year, I have seen too many pictures of racism. For too long, I have witnessed people of different color and ethnic backgrounds depicted in pictures slandering and hurting each other. When I turn on the television news, I see racially motivated riots. When I scroll through my social media newsfeed, I read about one act of hatred after another. It has made my heart sad, and I am sure it has brought a certain type of despair to your heart as well.

And then I saw this picture. It was in real life and in real time. My eight year old daughter had just made a friend. We were over a thousand miles from home and swimming in a resort pool and my daughter was laughing and playing with an African American girl. As soon as I saw them, it warmed my heart. It was just what I needed to see, even though I didn’t even know that I needed to see it.

My eight year old daughter didn’t see it as a big deal because in her eyes it isn’t a big deal. In fact, she probably didn’t even really notice that her new friend was an African American. She just noticed that she was about the same age and they started to talk and they realized that they wanted to be swimming buddies. If it were only that easy.

Maybe our daughter didn’t see her friend’s color because she is so used to interacting with children who have different ethnic backgrounds. She has cousins who have different color skin. She has friends at school and church who have different color skin. So why did I sense something so meaningful in a swimming pool? Could it be that there might be some spiritual implications in this random interaction?

This event took place less than twenty-four hours ago, and yet I have probably thought about it more than anything else that has crossed my mind since the moment it took place. My mind continues to think through the simplicity, the pure love and acceptance shown by both of these girls. When the African American girl had to leave, they hugged and said goodbye to each other. Could it really be that simple? Could there be something that is inside children which adults need to pay more attention to? We always focus on what we must teach our children, but in this instance, should we be learning something from our children?

Something Jesus said about children has replayed itself inside my mind since this pool interaction. Someone asked Jesus who the greatest type of person was in the kingdom of heaven. For an object lesson, Jesus called a little child to himself and asked the child to stand in his midst while he proclaimed:

“I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3).

In another conversation Jesus had with others, he made it clear that heaven will be made up of little children. There must be something important about the faith of a child. As an adult, it is difficult for us to venture back to those days of childhood faith. To have a vivid imagination where you don’t need logic, but you just need some free time. I remember when I started to lose my child-like imagination. I was approximately twelve years old and I was playing with my matchbox cars. After a few minutes of playing with them, I started to feel a sense of boredom. I fought against this feeling that what I was doing was not worth it anymore. After a few more minutes of trying to imagine in front of me a huge highway system, I told myself that it was okay for me not to enjoy this anymore, and so I put them away and went outside to play basketball. I never got my matchbox cars out again. I am not sure why I remember this moment with such clarity, but it was a pivotal point in my journey towards becoming a young adult. And it was okay. This is simply what happens as we get older. I notice it in my twelve year old daughter. There are some things she just doesn’t enjoy doing anymore. And that is okay.

But there is another type of childhood faith that does not involve imagination. A type that is much more important. This type of childhood faith involves trust. As a child grows older, the child learns to not trust everyone. For various reasons, certain older children and other adults have done something to rob them of the virtue of trust. The older we get, the more skeptical we become of other human beings. And we have good reason to be skeptical of some people, for there are evil humans in our midst. But when Jesus was referring to this childlike faith, he wanted us to be able to trust in him no matter what. Jesus was not asking us to trust everyone, just him. Because Jesus is the one who can save us, we must be able to place our trust in him, knowing that he has good in store for us.

I believe that we can learn an important principle from Jesus: Trust without prejudice. Don’t worry about teaching your child this principle, they are probably already living it out. You, as an adult, probably need to learn it much more than your child. What does trust without prejudice look like? It means that your first impression of someone is to think the best of them no matter what their skin color. How many adults have made too quick of a judgment about someone because they are a different skin color than them? And how many people have given too many people the benefit of the doubt just because they wear the same skin color as them? Evil comes in all types of colors. So does good.

This principle is found in the Bible: “Love always trusts” (1 Corinthians 13:7). In some translations, it says, “Love believes the best.” No matter what someone’s skin color, do you believe the best of them when you first meet them? When you first meet someone who has a different color, do you think, “I wonder if we will be great friends someday?” Or does that not even enter your mind?

I would like to add one more aspect to the principle of trust without prejudice. Children love to play, but they loath sitting around to talk about something that is rehashed over and over. Adults seem to be the opposite. Adults seem to think that sitting around and talking about the same thing over and over will fix the problem. But often, talking with no action usually just makes the issue less attainable. I have heard so many times over the last year that we need to start discussions about racism and somehow magically all that talking will solve the problem.

I have heard this topic discussed on sports radio, evening news and even expert panels. But it seems that very little good has come out of so much of these “talks.” Those who seethe with racism cannot be changed with just dialogue. The racist needs to rub shoulders with someone of a different color and play with them. I am not talking about swimming, but I am talking about their world expanding. Like I said, children can teach us so much if we would just open up our eyes. Maybe we need to stop talking so much about this and instead learn how to play again. Look around in your swimming pool. How big is it? Is it big enough for everyone?

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I was struck by the question my wife asked me last night as we were laying our heads down on the pillow to sleep. She asked, “What if we stripped everything away from Christmas? What if we got rid of all the good things we look forward to every December? The family gatherings. Decorating the tree. Filling the stockings. Buying presents for loved ones. The food. The ugly sweaters. Watching the same movies. The time off. Watching sports. What if we stopped all of those traditions? Would it still feel like Christmas?”

Would it?

What if all we had every December 25 was the knowledge that Jesus came to this earth to save humanity from their sin problem? Would that be enough for you? As soon as my mind started to process this question, I considered that first Christmas and it was fascinating to comprehend the reaction of everyone who came in contact with Jesus.

The shepherds GLORIFIED AND PRAISED God after they met baby Jesus (Luke 2:20).

Simeon was MOVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT when he was in the midst of eight day old Jesus (Luke 2:27).

The prophetess Anna GAVE THANKS to God as she interacted with the newborn Jesus (Luke 2:38).

The magi BOWED down and WORSHIPPED the toddler Jesus when they arrived at His house (Matthew 2:11).

The theme of that first Christmas was the realization of the divinity of Jesus and the response to worship Him. What if that was all we had this Christmas? Would that be enough? I think for some of us, it wouldn’t be enough.

The church I lead is offering six different services this weekend. Several people have come up to my wife and I and have lamented at this task that they believe is a burden for myself and ultimately my family. We are busy on the 23rd, 24th, and 25th. I then read an article about many churches which are canceling their services because Christmas Day is on a Sunday and their ultimate goal is for families to be able to spend it together.

Can I say something that is true, but will not be popular to your ears?

Christmas is not about family.

Don’t get me wrong. One of the wonderful traditions of Christmas is the ability to “get-together” and spend time with family. But Christmas isn’t about family. We have allowed our cultural values (which are good) to get in the way of what is most important.

Never forget this truth: Christmas is about the worship of Jesus Christ, the savior of the world.

And if the worship of Jesus Christ is the reason to celebrate Christmas, than wouldn’t we be excited to gather with our brothers and sisters in Christ to worship our king? I wonder if we have forgotten what Christmas is all about. It is about meeting Him and bowing down to Him and giving thanks to Him and worshipping Him. It is not about a big family meal. It is not about opening the presents. It is about Jesus Christ, the savior of the world.

I am not asking you to stop your Christmas traditions. My wife and I have many Christmas traditions and we will continue them into the future. But we know that if all was stripped away, we could still enjoy Christmas because we know that it is all about worshiping our leader, Jesus Christ.

So don’t feel bad for us that we have to be at six different services this weekend (it is not that different than a regular weekend anyway). We will still be able to spend time with family. We still decorated a tree. We will still open up gifts. We will still have time to relax. But there is a joy which we have found in gathering with other Christians around this time of year that has become a favorite for us.

And when you realize what Christmas is all about, it is not only worth it, but a privilege which we will cherish for all eternity. Just think about it for a moment. What will we do when we get to heaven someday? Will we open presents? Will we hang lights up on our homes? Will we stuff the stockings? I am not sure about those traditions, but I do know one thing we will be doing. We will be worshiping Jesus Christ as the leader and forgiver of our eternal life.

Therefore, the older we get on this earth, the more we should realize that what we do here should reflect what we will do in heaven. So, make sure you focus on the most important aspect of Christmas. Otherwise, you will be teaching those around you that Christmas is all about the “other things,” when it is really simple. It is about Jesus, and giving Him the honor He deserves.

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When I was in elementary school, I was one of the “three kings” in my church’s Christmas musical. I had one line and it had something to do with giving baby Jesus a gift. Growing up, I just assumed that the wise men who visited Bethlehem were simply three men who rode camels from an eastern land. Little did I know that these men were much more than three wandering wise men. When we realize who these men really were and what they represented, it helps make sense of other parts of the Christmas story. As I researched the history of the Magi, I found 10 facts which are fascinating. I understand that using the word “fact” might be a stretch for some of these, but the logical deductions based upon the evidence seem to point towards the validity of these statements.

FACT 1: The Magi traveled from the Parthian Empire. The Parthian Empire was a vast ancient empire, which ruled in Asia at the same time that the Roman Empire ruled over the Mediterranean region. It is believed that when Israel was exiled into this region centuries before, they settled there and eventually rose to power and actually had kings with Israelite blood who ruled over this empire.

FACT 2: The Magi were powerful members of the Parthian two-house body that elected Parthian monarchs and had great influence within the empire. The assembly was composed of a royal family (the Arsacids) and the priests (the “Magi”). The Greek word translated “wise men” is “magian” literally meaning “Persian astronomer or priest” from which we derive the word “Magi”. According to this theory, the Magi were descended from the tribe of Levi. When the Magi visited Jesus, there might have been 10-12 main leaders, all representing the tribes of Israel, instead of the traditional number of three.

FACT 3: The Magi were looking for a new king for Parthia, and Jesus was a descendant of the throne. Since Matthew 1:3-17 tells us that Jesus Christ was a descendant of King David, Jesus was a distant relative of the Parthian ruling dynasty. At the time of the birth of Jesus, the recent Parthian emperor, Phraates IV (reigned 37-2 B.C.), had killed many male relatives, including his own father and almost thirty brothers. Male descendants at the time of Jesus’ birth were in very short supply. The Magi who arrived in Jerusalem knew that Jesus was “royal-born,” and it implies that they knew He was related to Parthia’s kings.

FACT 4: Herod (and all of Jerusalem) was disturbed because he wondered if the Magi came to besiege Jerusalem and start a Roman-Parthian war. The Parthian caravan probably had so many armed escorts that many feared it was an invasion force coming to besiege Jerusalem and start a new Roman-Parthian war. Israel was in a strategic location and whichever nation controlled Israel would control the surrounding area. These two empires had fought over this area in the recent past, and Herod feared with a new born king in his midst, it would give the common people motivation to rebel against the Roman government and join forces with Parthia.

The Magi’s caravan might have had over 10,000 men and 1,000 camels. Since the Magi were high officials of the Parthian government, they would routinely travel with a substantial escort of Parthian soldiers to guarantee their protection. Their escort may have been unusually large, including servants, animals, cooks, etc.

FACT #5: Herod controlled his response to the Magi, proving the power of the Parthians. The Magi came directly to King Herod, quite open about their reasons for being in Roman-occupied Palestine. “He that is born king of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2). Herod could have flown into a rage, and yelled “How dare you ask to see another king of the Jews beside me; I am king of the Jews!” The fact that Herod swallowed his pride, and meekly answered the Magi is noteworthy. Herod may even have suspected that the Magi’s question was designed to provoke an incident, which would lead to an outbreak of hostilities and his removal from the throne. Herod may have been expecting to hear an ultimatum for the surrender of Jerusalem to Parthia when the Magi were ushered into his presence.

The fact that the Magi spoke directly to Herod, who was Rome’s “king of the Jews,” about wanting to find a “new king of the Jews” could be seen by the Romans as very close to a declaration of war, given the region’s history.

FACT #6: The Magi visited Jesus several months after his birth. Matthew 2:11 states that this visit of the Magi took place in a house when Jesus was old enough to be called “a young child.” Matthew 2:8 adds that Herod sent the Magi “to Bethlehem” after conferring with the Jewish hierarchy about the prophesied location of the Messiah’s birth.

FACT #7: The gifts from the Magi might have made Jesus’ family wealthy. It takes financial resources to travel. When God warned Joseph to flee to Egypt quickly, he had the financial resources on hand to afford a rapidly arranged, indefinite stay in a foreign nation. Either Joseph was not a poor carpenter, or these funds came from the gifts of the Magi at Jesus’ birth. Jesus’ financial resources were confirmed by the fact that He and His large band of disciples traveled for years without any visible means of support (John 12:3-6; 13:29). Could it be that these initial gifts given to Jesus at his birth supported Him throughout His entire ministry?

FACT #8: Herod vented his pent-up rage by murdering all boys (under 2) in Bethlehem. After the Magi left, Herod became “furious” (Matthew 2:16) and vented his pent-up rage by murdering all male children in Bethlehem under age two. Official reports surely had to be filed with Augustus Caesar in Rome about this highly unusual event. It appears that Herod was trying to squelch any kind of potential for a new king to arise in his land.

FACT #9: The star the Magi followed was most likely an angel. No comet or celestial phenomenon could pinpoint a single city. The Bible sometimes uses the word “star” to represent angels (Job 38:7; Revelation 1:20). Only an angel, a spirit being, could literally “stand over” the baby Jesus to designate one specific child to the Parthian nobles.

The star seemed to only be visible to the Magi. If a unique celestial object had appeared in the sky, Herod and his astrologers would already have known the exact date and hour on which it had appeared. Also, the star appeared and disappeared. After leading the Magi to Judea, the star disappeared, forcing them to ask Herod for directions. After the Magi left Herod, the star again appeared to them, and led them directly to Bethlehem (Luke 2:9) and finally stood over one specific child. Matthew 2:10 states the Magi rejoiced that the star had again appeared to show them where to go!

It should not seem odd for us to believe that this star was an angel because God used an angel during several events surrounding the birth of Jesus (i.e. Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, shepherds). Since God used angels to direct the movements of people in the events surrounding Christ’s birth, it would have been completely consistent for God to also send an angel to guide the Magi’s movements.

FACT #10: The Magi might have monitored the events of Jesus’ life. It is possible that the Magi discussed the possibility that this child Jesus, born under such unusual circumstances, might one day take the throne of the Parthian Empire. This delegation of Parthian Magi likely would have stayed in contact with Jesus in future years and monitored the events of His life.

Maybe you were like me and believed that the Magi were “3 Kings” who visited Jesus when He was a little baby lying in a manger. Hopefully, this new information impacts your view of the Magi, the Empire of Parthia, and ultimately the grand plan of God that is so much greater than what we can sometimes imagine. It is my hope that this can help you realize that the history of this planet is really “HIS-story.”

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This last weekend, my wife and I took our daughters to an art museum. As we were walking from gallery to gallery, enjoying the art from the past several centuries, my eye caught a particular painting. At first, I noticed this work because of the peculiar scene of monkeys dressed in human clothing. Since we have a two year old, the theme of any trip is to “keep it moving,” so I knew that I needed to be careful not to spend too much time studying this picture, but I am glad that I took the time to learn more about the background of this fascinating piece of art.

The painting is called THE DISCOVERY OF ADAM. The artist, William Holbrook Beard, created this artwork 32 years after the publication of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.

This was my favorite painting in the entire museum. I could have spent quite a while gazing at the details of the ironic picture. In the few minutes I was able to study it, I noticed the following: Seven monkeys dressed in suits were standing on a beach poking at, observing, discussing and wondering what this turtle-like creature could be on the shore. As I looked closely at this creature, the shell had the inscription of 2000 000[0?] / B C / Adam. And in the background of the painting, I saw pterodactyls fighting.

What truth was the artist trying to convey? I believe he was trying to show us that civilized monkeys of ancient times could no more believe that they descended from such a primitive Adam than logical human beings could accept that human beings evolved from monkeys.

The painting is a brilliant display of rational thinking. The persuasive power of this painting proves how important art is to every culture and civilization. Art can often shout the truth of a situation louder than a thousand page book on the same subject.

The rest of the afternoon, my mind continued to shift towards this picture of a strange turtle surrounded by monkeys. On the long drive back home, I kept picturing this painting and the significance of it in my own life as a believer in a Creator. I thought about how the acceptance of the idea of random, chaotic evolution has changed our nation’s culture. As I kept staring ahead into the endless miles of highway, I couldn’t stop thinking about how this lie, called evolution, has changed America’s philosophy in almost every fundamental area over the last century. This fundamental shift from believing in an “intelligent designer” to a meaningless “big bang” has brought about some of the most horrific justifications any civilization has ever encountered.

Our nation has shifted from living out a “Creator Worldview” to a “Darwinian Worldview” and the change is shocking. Allow me to present a few examples.

Our nation once believed that all human life is sacred because God made humans in His own image. This gave humans significance and inherent value from the time they were in their mother’s wombs to the moment they breathed their last breath confined to a hospital bed. Today, our nation teaches us that life evolved through chance, and is therefore meaningless and purposeless and abortion is an acceptable option since the forming animal inside of you is merely tissue.

Our nation once believed that death was not the end, and that heaven or hell awaited the human soul because the Creator has placed something eternal within each human. Today, our nation teaches us that this life is all there is; therefore, eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die and will return to the dust and exist no more.

Our nation once believed that the Creator set a standard by which all humans were to live by and that standard was written on each of our hearts.

Today, our nation teaches us that there is no God and therefore no standard by which to live.

This belief system has given us situational ethics where everyone is allowed to make their own decisions based upon their own convictions. Anyone with the ability to think logically should be horrified at this reality. Sadly, we are witnessing this take place in many, if not most of our universities. Students are paying thousands of dollars to be brainwashed into thinking that everyone can believe whatever they want and that it will not affect anyone around them.

Our nation once believed that the Creator, as part of His creation, gave us the gift of marriage between a man and a woman. Within this union, a family could be born. Today, our nation teaches us that marriage and family are relative terms and the definition of each can be changed depending on our belief system. If we have simply evolved over millions of years, then marriage is also something that can and should evolve over time. This is why many are fighting for marriage to be a thing of the past and for us instead to tap into our animalistic instinct to breed with whomever we want whenever we want. I am appalled at what is subtly taught about the family unit in many cartoons and consistently have to discuss these godless viewpoints with my children after we watch an episode of a seemingly innocent television show. The Evil One understands that the foundation of civility rests upon the shoulders of the family unit and if this family unit can be destroyed, then most of the other institutions of this nation will follow suit.

Our nation once believed that the Creator presented humanity (Adam and Eve) with the first set of clothing after sin entered the world and shame entered the human heart in realizing nakedness. Today, our nation has turned the shame of public nakedness into a billion dollar industry. The bold acceptance of pornography in our nation proves that humans are simply animals to look at and lust after with no consequences to his or her actions. But with this acceptance, people are learning false intimacy. More alarming is the fact that many individuals are solely committed to a computer screen and find their satisfaction through a fake, touched up photo of someone who doesn’t really exist. This digital depravity can trace it roots to rejecting the idea that God made human beings with dignity.

Our nation once believed that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” This belief was reinforced in the late 1800s when the Statue of Liberty stood for this important aspect of the gospel: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.” Just read the Bible…the poor is important to God. But today, there seems to be a great neglect of the poor. Could it be that many people, including Christians, live out the idea of the survival of the fittest? How many people have simply blamed the poor for being poor, saying things like, “If they would not be lazy, then they would not be poor.” It takes a wise and discerning heart to differentiate between “the poor” and “the lazy,” and tragically, our nation is filling up with “the lazy” at an alarming pace. But this doesn’t mean that our hearts shouldn’t respond to those who are genuinely in need.

Could it be true that the theory of evolution is responsible for the justification of abortion, promotion of existentialism, empowering selfishness, the breakdown of the family, the booming industry of pornography, and the neglect of the poor? I am not saying that these issues have not been problematic in past civilizations. But I am saying that our cultural values have changed. And I believe that the fundamental question that we all must ask is this: is there a God who created all of this stuff, or did I evolve from a monkey? Depending upon how you answer, I can tell you where you reside upon most of the plagues of our society.

Could it be that the answer to the problems in our society is a belief in God? But not just any god…the God of the Universe who is named Jesus Christ. Could it really be this simple? Until we are ready to face this truth, we will continue to crumble from within.

Lately, I have heard from many people that their greatest hope is that everyone in the United States could just come together and be unified in some kind of harmonious agreement. It appears that the divide in America is getting greater by the day. “Can’t we all just get along?” we plead to each other. Is it even possible for everyone to just come back together? Is this even what Christians should hope for? The answer is a resounding “No!” I would like to present a more divine approach. We should hope for people to turn to God before we believe that they will ever consider coming together in unity. Until people see the light of their Creator shining through the darkness into their soul, there is not much hope that they will live out the will of God.

Our only hope is for people to turn their hearts to God. Two conflicting philosophies will never live in harmony together. Start praying for people to awaken to the truth so that they realize that they have a loving Creator who made them and has a purpose for them that is greater than what they can even imagine. This is the hope we can hold onto, and this will be my prayer every time I see our country sinking deeper into division. Simply stated, our hope is GOD.

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This is for anyone who has ever felt “stupid” because of the hurtful words of another person.

When I was younger I stuttered. My early years of school were filled with praying that the teacher would not call on me to read out loud because I knew that I would stumble over every other word. In second grade, our class had three different reading groups. The first group was for the “excellent” readers, the second group was filled with “average” readers, while the third group had the “slower” readers. Can you guess which group I was in? I knew that I belonged in this last group because I knew that I was a poor reader. But it made me feel inferior to all the other students which had the opportunity to read in the first two groups. And to make matters worse, one day as a girl (from the “excellent” readers) overhead me trying to read out loud to my own group, she said to me in a loud, obnoxious voice: “You are so stupid!” I can still picture her squinty face and blonde hair with pigtails. I gave her a dirty look and went back to trying to sound out the word “the”, but even at that young age I wasn’t angry at her. I was angry at myself. In fact, when I would have to speak, I really hated myself. It is hard to put into words, but that is how I felt. I felt like my mind wasn’t connecting with my voice and some outside force was placing a lid on my ability to speak.

Fast forward to high school. Once again, my greatest fear became a reality as I was sitting in an English Literature class and heard the teacher state that we would be reading the story of Romeo and Juliet. And then my fear became pure agony when she said that every boy would read the part of Romeo and every girl would read the part of Juliet at some point as the story unfolded. My heart sank to my stomach as I looked at the words. I felt stupid. I remembered the words of the little blonde girl from second grade. She was right. I am stupid. I haven’t grown out of it. And so, I decided that when I would be called upon to read this romantic tragedy, I would do my best British accent and fill the room with laughter. Laughter was often the fuel which motored my words. When people laughed at me or at something I said, it would calm my nerves, and I would then have the ability to speak with flowing words that seemed so effortless. Yet, only a few lines into reading as Romeo in a British accent, the teacher stopped me and asked if I was trying to be a comedian. I told her that I was trying to bring life to the story and that was my way of honoring Shakespeare. She allowed it and so I continued to read. As I butchered every other word, the students snickered and some even laughed out loud. Everyone thought I was trying to be funny, while deep inside I knew that I was simply trying to survive this reading. The relief I felt when I was finished reading was immense. I felt like an anchor had been lifted from around my tongue.

Involvement in sports and the popularity that came with this allowed me to mask this major deficiency in my life. Most of the people around me didn’t know how hard it was for me to start conversations. If my sentence would start with the letter “t” I would often try to think of another word that would be easier for my tongue to pronounce. Once I would begin my first sentence, I was fine, but sometimes I would start my sentence with “t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t…” and my friends would just smile at me. I wasn’t made fun of much because of it, but there were a couple older guys on my athletic teams that would really let me have it if I would slip up a word or two when I was trying to talk. I can still picture them doing this to me on the bus as we were driving to and from basketball and baseball games. I always laughed it off, because what else are you going to do when your peers make fun of you, right? But it was something that pained me deep inside.

Fast forward to early adulthood. I was now a pastor. Wait, isn’t a pastor someone who teaches up on a stage with people listening to them? When God started to lead me into Christian ministry, I was actually confused because I knew that I was a shy speaker. I hated giving speeches in high school and I hated starting conversations with strangers. How could I be a pastor? This just didn’t make sense at first. But when I would stand before people, and I would start preaching, the words flowed out of my mouth. It was as if it wasn’t really me speaking. Because when I would speak with people just a few minutes after my sermon as they were leaving the church, I would have a hard time starting sentences again. When I was in my twenties, I found that I would stutter the most when I was talking with someone who intimidated me. The shy, little boy would come out and want to just hide in his shell. I guess I still feel that way sometimes. I don’t want fame. I don’t want fortune. Some public speakers might want that and will even strive towards that, but I have never wanted that. I have always been driven with a passion to please God with everything that comes out of my mouth as I preach.

Fast forward to today. My stuttering problem is almost completely healed. Every once in a while, I might feel it when I am talking with someone I have never met, but for the most part, it is a part of my past. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t still have people telling me that I am stupid. A few years ago, I received an email from someone who criticized me for how I pronounced a certain word in one of my sermons. He sent a few painful arrows at how inadequate of a speaker I was and wasn’t sure that I was even good enough to be a public speaker. I humbled myself and sent an email back, thanking him for correcting me for mispronouncing the word and that I would try my best to say it correctly the next time. As I sent the email, I could picture that little girl with blonde pigtails making fun of me again, calling me stupid. It was a humbling email and reminded me that when I speak, I speak for God, and therefore it is His power that flows through me. And yet, God uses me in my weakness (i.e. stuttering, mispronunciation).

Over the years, plenty of people have told me when I mispronounce certain words. And usually they are kind when they tell me. Even my wife points them out from time to time. I work at all this, more than people will ever realize, but I have learned to accept that my speech will never be perfectly eloquent in the ears of those who hold high the English grammar. I guess that makes me like most other people. And I am okay with being like most people.

I find it ironic that my greatest fear (speaking in front of others) because of my greatest weakness (stuttering) has turned into one of my greatest joys because God uses my weakness for His glory. He took the worst part of me, and made it into something that will exalt Him until the day that I die. This seems to be how God works. I look back now and am thankful that I stuttered when I was younger. Because I stuttered, I now have empathy for people who feel inadequate. Because I stuttered, I can now appreciate the joy of being able to speak with fluent words one after each other. Because I stuttered, I am reminded that the greatest gift God has given to me (preaching), is just that: a gift.

I leave you with this thought. What do you struggle with? Have you allowed God to use this weakness in a way that brings glory to Him? And if you have children, what are their weaknesses? Once you notice his or her weakness, you can be aware of them and guide your child to have the courage to overcome those weaknesses. No matter how stupid I might have felt growing up, my parents always believed in me. I can’t think of anyone else who has encouraged me more than my parents. Never forget, a weakness to us can be a strength to God!

That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10(NIV)

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Have you ever wanted something so much, but you knew that it was off limits to you? Have you ever wanted something so much that was off limits to you, that you manipulate your way into getting it? You even murder people who stand in your path so that you get what you want? No matter who stands in your way, you are determined that you will win? I’d like to tell an ancient story which gives us four warnings for today’s leaders.

Warning #1: Leaders should be servants of the people, but when a leader forces the people to serve their selfish purposes, the subjects will always suffer.

Once upon a time, there lived a woman named Jezebel. Her named means “pure” and “wholesome” and yet she lived in such a way that contradicted those attributes. She was one of the most evil queens Israel had ever seen. She went to great lengths to get not only what she wanted, but what her husband wanted as well. Her husband’s name was Ahab. This couple was, without a doubt, the most wicked husband and wife to ever rule the land of Israel.

Jezebel and Ahab partook in many evil deeds, but the one involving an innocent man by the name of Naboth might be the most sinister of all. Naboth had a beautiful vineyard beside the palace of Ahab. Ahab saw this vineyard and he wanted. It was a breathtaking vineyard. But it wasn’t his. It was Naboth’s vineyard. So Ahab demanded that Naboth give him the vineyard, but Naboth refused to sell the land. It’s not like Ahab just asked for the vineyard without offering a substantial amount that would equal if not go beyond the value of the vineyard. Ahab even offered a better vineyard in its place. Ahab also offered cash instead of land. In Ahab’s eyes, he was offering Naboth the vineyard of a lifetime. So, what was the problem? Why wouldn’t Naboth sell?

Naboth told Ahab that the Lord forbid him to give the King his inheritance. Naboth was a God fearing Israelite who obeyed the Mosaic Law. Naboth was not just being greedy or stubborn. His actions were based upon a biblical principle. This is why he refused to sell his inheritance:

“No inheritance of the sons of Israel shall be transferred from tribe to tribe, for the sons of Israel shall each hold to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers” (Numbers 36:7).

In other words, no transaction should ever be made permanent, but Ahab wanted to make a permanent purchase. Naboth knew that this was not God’s will, so he refused the King, knowing that it would probably cost him his life.

So, what did King Ahab do when he was turned down? He went home and pouted. Ahab laid down on his bed, turned away his face, and refused to eat. He behaved like a two year old when he or she does not get their own way.

When Ahab’s wife Jezebel saw that he was sulking in his bed, she told him to lighten up because she would get the land for him. Jezebel had grown up in a culture where the rights of individuals were not honored as they were in Israel. It seemed incredible to her that Ahab would not just take what he wanted. That was how a king should act, according to her way of thinking. If he would not do what was necessary, she would do so and without hesitation.

Jezebel devised an evil plan to kill Naboth. Her heart was stone-cold. She set up a meeting in Naboth’s town and hired two low-lifes to accuse Naboth of something false, but worthy of the death sentence. After hearing these false reports, the leaders took Naboth out of the town and stoned him to death. This royal family was guilty of four things that God abhors (Proverbs 6):

Lying.

Hiring false witnesses to spread lies.

Shedding innocent blood.

Devising a wicked plan.

Warning #2: Leaders who MANIPULATE, LIE and CONSPIRE SINISTER PLANS to get what they want ignite a zealous anger in God.

The royal family got what they wanted…the vineyard. But what they didn’t realize was that God was watching all of this and His fierce anger burned against their total corruption of power. God places people in leadership to do good for the common people, but this couple manipulated and destroyed many lives for their own benefit.

The leaders who followed the directions of Jezebel obviously feared Jezebel more than they did God. And maybe they justified it because they were just taking orders. But surely they could see the injustice? Right?

Jezebel got away with it, again. She got away with it because no one had the courage to stand up to her evil plans. A lack of courage allows Satan’s plan of destruction to succeed. Have you ever kept quiet about something that you knew was not right, but you didn’t want to face the consequences of speaking out, so you remained silent? Maybe you talk in your protected pockets of individuals, but when it comes to letting people know exactly how you feel about an evil, you are scared. And when you do see people speaking up against evil, you continue to be silent because the world looks at them as fanatical and you don’t want to be placed in the same category as them. Play it safe, remain silent…that is, until all your rights are taken away from you.

Jezebel told Ahab that Naboth was no longer in the picture and he could now have his precious vineyard. So he went down to the vineyard, thinking he was going to enjoy it. Little did Ahab know that he was going to run into his old buddy, a fanatical truth-teller. The man’s name was Elijah and he always made Ahab feel like he was an evil man.

The Lord told Elijah to confront Ahab at the vineyard. As Ahab was checking out his new vineyard, Elijah stepped out from behind a vine and said, “Congratulations, Ahab!”

“You again!” seethed Ahab. Ahab for years had been trying to kill the truth-teller named Elijah, but God protected him. Evil people hate truth-tellers, because their sinister plans are often times blocked by truth-tellers.

“Yeah, its me, and you know why I’m here. You know that what you did was evil in God’s eyes. You know that you just killed a righteous and innocent man.” Elijah rebuked Ahab directly.

Elijah told Ahab that God would sweep him away because of his evil ways. Dogs would lick his blood when he died. He also told Ahab that God would allow dogs to eat Jezebel because of her evil ways. It was a common practice for dogs to roam outside of the city and actually lick the blood from the deceased and eat their flesh when they were left dead.

No leader ever gets away with murder. No leader ever gets away with conspiring evil plans. No leader ever gets away with lying so that they will get elected. No leader ever gets away with evil. God eventually punishes every evil leader.

Warning #3: Wicked leaders will eventually be SEVERELY JUDGED by God.

What happened to Ahab?

Three years after getting his vineyard, Ahab was mortally wounded by an arrow in battle and as they washed the blood that was on the chariot by the pool of Samaria, the dogs licked up his blood (1 Kings 22:38).

What happened to Jezebel?

During an insurrection, Jezebel was thrown out of a window. Her body crashed to the ground and killed her. Some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall. They went to bury her, but they found nothing more of her than her skull, her feet and the palms of her hands because the dogs had eaten her (2 Kings 9:35).

What happened to Ahab’s 70 sons?

God would not allow Ahab and Jezebel to leave a legacy. These 70 sons were beheaded and their heads were piled upon at the entrance of the city of Jezreel (Naboth’s hometown).

Wicked leaders will eventually be severely judged by God.

Ahab wanted Naboth’s vineyard so much that he allowed Jezebel to falsely accuse Naboth and kill him, but in the end both Ahab and Jezebel were killed for the evil they did to Naboth.

Warning #4: Be careful what you wish for. Sometimes the worst thing that could happen is for you to get your own way.

The spirit of Jezebel has lived on past her despicable death. Every once in a while throughout history, the wretched Jezebel rises to power in a new time period. We see her arise in the early church when the congregation tolerated a woman who had this same type of leadership style (Revelation 2:20).

Has she arisen once again in our time period of history? Is her spirit alive and well in this nation? You be the judge of that. Let’s hope and pray that anyone who embodies the spirit of Jezebel never leads our nation, for we have been warned from our past.

Sadly, history always repeats itself. But there is hope if enough truth-tellers stand up against the lies and the murders and the dark-minded strategies. Never forget that whenever there is a Jezebel in the land, there is always an Elijah. The question is: which one do you align yourself with?

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Have you ever wanted something so much, but you knew that it was off limits to you? Have you ever wanted something so much that was off limits to you, that you manipulate your way into getting it? You even murder people who stand in your path so that you get what you want? No matter who stands in your way, you are determined that you will win? I’d like to tell an ancient story which gives us four warnings for today’s leaders.

Warning #1: Leaders should be servants of the people, but when a leader forces the people to serve their selfish purposes, the subjects will always suffer.

Once upon a time, there lived a woman named Jezebel. Her named means “pure” and “wholesome” and yet she lived in such a way that contradicted those attributes. She was one of the most evil queens Israel had ever seen. She went to great lengths to get not only what she wanted, but what her husband wanted as well. Her husband’s name was Ahab. This couple was, without a doubt, the most wicked husband and wife to ever rule the land of Israel.

Jezebel and Ahab partook in many evil deeds, but the one involving an innocent man by the name of Naboth might be the most sinister of all. Naboth had a beautiful vineyard beside the palace of Ahab. Ahab saw this vineyard and he wanted. It was a breathtaking vineyard. But it wasn’t his. It was Naboth’s vineyard. So Ahab demanded that Naboth give him the vineyard, but Naboth refused to sell the land. It’s not like Ahab just asked for the vineyard without offering a substantial amount that would equal if not go beyond the value of the vineyard. Ahab even offered a better vineyard in its place. Ahab also offered cash instead of land. In Ahab’s eyes, he was offering Naboth the vineyard of a lifetime. So, what was the problem? Why wouldn’t Naboth sell?

Naboth told Ahab that the Lord forbid him to give the King his inheritance. Naboth was a God fearing Israelite who obeyed the Mosaic Law. Naboth was not just being greedy or stubborn. His actions were based upon a biblical principle. This is why he refused to sell his inheritance:

“No inheritance of the sons of Israel shall be transferred from tribe to tribe, for the sons of Israel shall each hold to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers” (Numbers 36:7).

In other words, no transaction should ever be made permanent, but Ahab wanted to make a permanent purchase. Naboth knew that this was not God’s will, so he refused the King, knowing that it would probably cost him his life.

So, what did King Ahab do when he was turned down? He went home and pouted. Ahab laid down on his bed, turned away his face, and refused to eat. He behaved like a two year old when he or she does not get their own way.

When Ahab’s wife Jezebel saw that he was sulking in his bed, she told him to lighten up because she would get the land for him. Jezebel had grown up in a culture where the rights of individuals were not honored as they were in Israel. It seemed incredible to her that Ahab would not just take what he wanted. That was how a king should act, according to her way of thinking. If he would not do what was necessary, she would do so and without hesitation.

Jezebel devised an evil plan to kill Naboth. Her heart was stone-cold. She set up a meeting in Naboth’s town and hired two low-lifes to accuse Naboth of something false, but worthy of the death sentence. After hearing these false reports, the leaders took Naboth out of the town and stoned him to death. This royal family was guilty of four things that God abhors (Proverbs 6):

Lying.

Hiring false witnesses to spread lies.

Shedding innocent blood.

Devising a wicked plan.

Warning #2: Leaders who MANIPULATE, LIE and CONSPIRE SINISTER PLANS to get what they want ignite a zealous anger in God.

The royal family got what they wanted…the vineyard. But what they didn’t realize was that God was watching all of this and His fierce anger burned against their total corruption of power. God places people in leadership to do good for the common people, but this couple manipulated and destroyed many lives for their own benefit.

The leaders who followed the directions of Jezebel obviously feared Jezebel more than they did God. And maybe they justified it because they were just taking orders. But surely they could see the injustice? Right?

Jezebel got away with it, again. She got away with it because no one had the courage to stand up to her evil plans. A lack of courage allows Satan’s plan of destruction to succeed. Have you ever kept quiet about something that you knew was not right, but you didn’t want to face the consequences of speaking out, so you remained silent? Maybe you talk in your protected pockets of individuals, but when it comes to letting people know exactly how you feel about an evil, you are scared. And when you do see people speaking up against evil, you continue to be silent because the world looks at them as fanatical and you don’t want to be placed in the same category as them. Play it safe, remain silent…that is, until all your rights are taken away from you.

Jezebel told Ahab that Naboth was no longer in the picture and he could now have his precious vineyard. So he went down to the vineyard, thinking he was going to enjoy it. Little did Ahab know that he was going to run into his old buddy, a fanatical truth-teller. The man’s name was Elijah and he always made Ahab feel like he was an evil man.

The Lord told Elijah to confront Ahab at the vineyard. As Ahab was checking out his new vineyard, Elijah stepped out from behind a vine and said, “Congratulations, Ahab!”

“You again!” seethed Ahab. Ahab for years had been trying to kill the truth-teller named Elijah, but God protected him. Evil people hate truth-tellers, because their sinister plans are often times blocked by truth-tellers.

“Yeah, its me, and you know why I’m here. You know that what you did was evil in God’s eyes. You know that you just killed a righteous and innocent man.” Elijah rebuked Ahab directly.

Elijah told Ahab that God would sweep him away because of his evil ways. Dogs would lick his blood when he died. He also told Ahab that God would allow dogs to eat Jezebel because of her evil ways. It was a common practice for dogs to roam outside of the city and actually lick the blood from the deceased and eat their flesh when they were left dead.

No leader ever gets away with murder. No leader ever gets away with conspiring evil plans. No leader ever gets away with lying so that they will get elected. No leader ever gets away with evil. God eventually punishes every evil leader.

Warning #3: Wicked leaders will eventually be SEVERELY JUDGED by God.

What happened to Ahab?

Three years after getting his vineyard, Ahab was mortally wounded by an arrow in battle and as they washed the blood that was on the chariot by the pool of Samaria, the dogs licked up his blood (1 Kings 22:38).

What happened to Jezebel?

During an insurrection, Jezebel was thrown out of a window. Her body crashed to the ground and killed her. Some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall. They went to bury her, but they found nothing more of her than her skull, her feet and the palms of her hands because the dogs had eaten her (2 Kings 9:35).

What happened to Ahab’s 70 sons?

God would not allow Ahab and Jezebel to leave a legacy. These 70 sons were beheaded and their heads were piled upon at the entrance of the city of Jezreel (Naboth’s hometown).

Wicked leaders will eventually be severely judged by God.

Ahab wanted Naboth’s vineyard so much that he allowed Jezebel to falsely accuse Naboth and kill him, but in the end both Ahab and Jezebel were killed for the evil they did to Naboth.

Warning #4: Be careful what you wish for. Sometimes the worst thing that could happen is for you to get your own way.

The spirit of Jezebel has lived on past her despicable death. Every once in a while throughout history, the wretched Jezebel rises to power in a new time period. We see her arise in the early church when the congregation tolerated a woman who had this same type of leadership style (Revelation 2:20).

Has she arisen once again in our time period of history? Is her spirit alive and well in this nation? You be the judge of that. Let’s hope and pray that anyone who embodies the spirit of Jezebel never leads our nation, for we have been warned from our past.

Sadly, history always repeats itself. But there is hope if enough truth-tellers stand up against the lies and the murders and the dark-minded strategies. Never forget that whenever there is a Jezebel in the land, there is always an Elijah. The question is: which one do you align yourself with?

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In the fog of what has become one of the most bizarre presidential races ever, it is important for Christians to remember what is truly important to God. Sadly, too many Christians have really gotten lost in all the arguments involved in this race, and so hopefully this can be a brief thought to help us re-focus on what is possibly the greatest sin America is committing right now.

I must admit that I am still stuck on the Vice Presidential debate and the discussion of many individuals afterward. This statement has haunted me the last few days spoken by a fellow Christian: “It is disheartening to see people base a decision as important as who you are going to elect to represent you, to a single issue…”

Logically, it makes sense. Why would someone base their decision upon one issue out of dozens of issues? No one should, based on human reasoning, unless you understand what this issue really means. I agree, it is not the only issue. But it is a deal breaker for me, and should be for every Christian. The issue at hand is abortion.

During the Vice Presidential debate, the last several minutes for me were amazing. I wept as I listened to Mike Pence plead the case for the preciousness of life. I am not sure if I had ever been more proud to be a Hoosier. He spoke about how sacred life was in the womb and how we needed to create a culture of life and make it easier for families who want to adopt to connect with women who are thinking about having an abortion. And then Governor Pence looked right into the eyes of Tim Kane and asked him how, being a man who believes in the sanctity of life, could he support partial birth abortion. This is not just abortion at 9 weeks along, but abortion at 30+ weeks. Just think about the name for a moment…the baby is actually part of the way out of the womb, and yet it is somehow still a woman’s right to abort this child? Mr. Kane had just talked about how his faith was important to him, but he kept telling the audience things like: “We have to leave it up to the woman. It is a woman’s right to choose” and “We should not punish women.”

An inner anger burned within me that was ready to burst. Mankind was trying to justify something that is utterly evil to God. As important as the economy and our security is to me, I don’t lose sleep over them. But I had a hard time sleeping that night as I heard two entirely different perspectives from two men who each called themselves Christians. One man’s perspective seemed to align with God’s written word, while the other man’s perspective seemed to align with the self-consumed, wickedness of the world. But somehow, they are both Christians? This type of contradiction has confused me for years; that is, until I came across an often over-looked reality found in the Bible.

Over and over throughout the history of the kings in the Bible, many of the kings would follow God in some areas of their life, but totally miss the mark with certain areas that were incredibly important to Him. Here are six examples:

Asa, who reigned for 41 years in Judah from 910-869 B.C., “did what was right in the sight of the Lord…but the HIGH PLACES were not taken away” (1 Kings 15:11-14).

Jehosophat, who reigned for 25 years in Judah from 872-848 B.C., “did right in the sight of the Lord…but the HIGH PLACES were not taken away” (1 Kings 22:43).

Joash, who reigned for 40 years in Judah from 835-796 B.C., “did right in the sight of the Lord all his days…only the HIGH PLACES were not taken away” (2 Kings 12:2-3).

Amaziah, who reigned for 29 years in Judah from 796-767 B.C., “did right in the sight of the Lord…only the HIGH PLACES were not taken away” (2 Kings 14:3-4).

Azariah, who reigned for 52 years in Judah from 792-740 B.C., “did right in the sight of the Lord…only the HIGH PLACES were not taken away” (2 Kings 15:3-4).

Jotham, who reigned for 16 years in Judah from 750-735 B.C., “did what was right in the sight of the Lord…only the HIGH PLACES were not taken away” (2 Kings 15:34-35).

What were the HIGH PLACES like? In the high places, people would build monuments to certain gods and then worship them. When the people gathered at these high places, drunkenness, sexually indulgent orgies and self-mutilation were the forms of worship. It was pure evil and abhorrent to the One true God. One of the gods the people worshipped in these high places was called Molech. The people would begin to worship this god Molech by bowing down to a statue of it. This statue was actually a large oven that contained a burning fire within it for the purpose of sacrifices. The out-stretched arms of Molech welcomed the human sacrifice. But it wasn’t just any kind of human, it was a human baby!

Moms and dads would work themselves up in a frenzy on top of this high place, and at the right moment, would toss their child into the flames of Molech. They called it an act of worship.

Just think about what is going on up on these high places. The men and women were engaging in promiscuous sex and because of those actions, the woman would periodically get pregnant. But this pregnant woman looked at this new addition to her life as inconvenient and decided to get rid of this unwanted baby. What better outlet than giving it as a sacrifice to the god that condones all of this behavior. Do you see the process here? Have sex with whomever you want. Get pregnant every once in a while. Dispose of the unwanted infant before it altars your lifestyle.

While most of the kings just looked the other way and acted like this horrible evil wasn’t happening, some of the ancient kings of Israel actually participated in this. King Manasseh is one example, as he “sacrificed his own son in the fire [of Molech]” (2 Kings 21:6). Please understand that God has an abhorrent hatred for the “shedding of innocent blood” (Proverbs 6).

Is Molech the modern abortion industry? Is the purpose of Planned Parenthood ultimately the same as this ancient practice of infanticide? The similarities cannot be ignored.

The main reason this evil industry brings in millions upon millions of dollars every year is because abortion is really the worship of the god of self. Our culture is so self-absorbed that it is not willing to do anything that seems inconvenient or takes away from our self-indulgent activities. Let’s face it, most people get abortions because they don’t want “it” to interfere with their career or lifestyle, or they think they can’t afford “it” or they don’t have the support of a partner or family. Even doctors (the great healers) suggest abortion as an option when there might be a suspected flaw in the baby. Many of my friends have been told by doctors to abort because there might be something wrong, and thankfully they didn’t listen to the doctor because these children are now in high school and amazing kids! And some of those kids do have disabilities, but they are still loved all the same! This is the worship of self in the most wicked manner.

Since I am a Christian and follower of the God of the Bible, I cannot and will never (to my knowledge) vote for someone who is “pro-choice.” The politician might be a Christian who is struggling with a high place in his or her life. But that is no excuse. The kings were severely judged for allowing the high places to co-exist in their kingdom. In fact, the kingdoms of Israel and Judah were both conquered by other nations because they could not follow the ways of God, which included most importantly the elimination of the high places. In the same way, the politicians of this land will someday be the focus of God’s all-consuming, fiery wrath that will utterly destroy them.

And if you are a Christian, yet you somehow logically conclude that there are other issues more important than this one about the “sanctity of life” and you decide to vote for someone who tramples on the rights of the unborn, then you will have to stand before God someday and answer why you looked the other way when the high places were erected in your neighborhood.

I mentioned the fact that several kings did good in the eyes of God, but allowed the high places to remain. I want to leave you with the hope of one leader’s ability to see into the heart of God and do whatever it takes to please God:

Hezekiah reigned for 29 years from 715-686 B.C., and “he did right in the sight of the Lord…he REMOVED the HIGH PLACES” (18:3-4).

This is my prayer for this election. That a leader, just like King Hezekiah, will arise and take down the high places of abortion so that the value of human life can flourish in the United States of America. I pray that this leader will cultivate a society that takes care of the unplanned child and gives a home to the orphan by making it easier and more affordable for good parents to adopt. I pray that this leader can encourage people to come along side men and women in crisis and show them loving support throughout the entire pregnancy and into the early years of child development. I pray that we will all see the value of life regardless of limitations and disabilities. I pray that this leader can stare this demonic monster in the face and strike a blow to it by reversing Roe v. Wade. And finally, I pray that every Christian in America opens up their eyes and burns passionately for the protective rights of the unborn, for all men [babies] are “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights” including “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”